Monday, October 13, 2014

What if - What if you no longer could find your favorite chocolate in your candy store? What if the store informed you they may never get in a new shipment? Imagine the horror, the chaos, the wailing and gnashing of teeth, not to mention your impending foul-mood. And then imagine this scenario happening on a worldwide scale! What can be the problem? What can be the solution? It’s up to the brave (?) adventurer Sir O. Yuri Wiseguy-eh and his mishaps from Gum Drop Island to boldly (double ?) go where no one has gone before. Yes, they must enter the realm of the forbidding and humuggity shrouded land called Moldy Corners. The next question, dear listeners, is - can what happens in Moldy Corners affect you?

Review:

When I was growing up, we Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. For this generation, there is the magical and mesmerizing story called Ahoy Gum Drop written by M.M. All too often, we try to categorize books by labels such as "children" or "YA". Why can't we have a category for families? The entire family will get much enjoyment with fanciful characters such as Sir O. Yuri Wiseguy-eh, Mort the Mothball Millionaire, Moose and of course who could forget I.B. Nosey?

There are so many different things I loved about Ahoy Gum Drop. From the quirky characters to the recap of previous chapters, the listener is captivated by both the story line as well as the narrator's hilarious portrayal of the characters. When my kids were little, at bedtime I used to read a chapter each night to them. Some of the details of the story were lost because my children would forget what may have been read the previous night. With Ahoy Gum Drop, M.M. makes sure that in the event this story is told over several days, there is a recap with every new chapter. When I say this is a family book, I truly do mean it. Although written with children in mind, there are some lines that only adults will understand. Think if you will, about cartoon movies you have seen with your children. You could connect personally with the movie because some of the meanings were only understood by adults.

I have previously reviewed Ahoy Gum Drop as an ebook. I was thrilled to be able to review the audiobook as well. Ahoy Gum Drop is a humorous and compelling read on it's own as an ebook or print book. However, when paired with narrator Owen McCuen, Ahoy Gum Drop transforms into a standout comical humdinger of a book. Owen McCuen thrills with the varying accents of each distinct character. Mr. McCuen knows how to attract the listener, make them feel welcome as well as a part of the book. I look forward to experiencing more of M.M.'s work (she is already a favorite of mine) as well as Mr. McCuen's. This unexpected duo make magic happen. Ahoy Gum Drop is a unique and addicting read that will bring back the silly and child in grown ups as well as help us to realize that we should all stop our busy lives long enough to take family time to enjoy this book together.